The present invention relates to a combination for surface treatment of a substrate, e.g. a nonwoven web, used in personal care product applications. The surface treatment combination not only provides adequate fluid handling properties, but also provides a topical delivery system effective in depositing a thin, tenacious and substantially continuous coating of a botanical extract on skin by an aqueous emulsion mediated dissolution of the agent from a substrate with subsequent transfer and deposition onto the skin. Coatings of the botanical extract on the skin resist removal, thereby preventing damage to the natural skin barrier and providing a protective barrier against chemically- and biochemically-induced skin damage.